Chasing the American Dream 2
by knick-knack-15
Summary: I made minor readjustments, but if this one sucks and you don't like it, I didn't remove the original one. Just so you know.


**Okay, you've probably seen this story before, but I made some minor readjustments, because I think I can make it a lot better. I still think it's pretty sad, though. Some parts will still be the same from the other version.**

**Disclaimer- Jeez.**

_All work no play may have made Jack a dull boy  
But all work no God has left Jack with a lost soul  
But he's moving on full steam  
He's chasing the American dream  
And he's gonna give his family finer things_

"Troy... you didn't have to." Sharpay marveled over the renewed wedding ring resting in the box in her hands, just waiting to be slipped onto a finger. He didn't have to, but the fact is, he _did_. He didn't have to give her the luxury they were riding on, but he _did_.

"There's one more thing..." Troy smiled, taking his wife's hand, leading her through their estate out into the winter.

"Dad!" Eight-year-old Connor Bolton stood in awe. It was like his favorite Matchbox cars had come in full size. He stood in front of his mother, tugging at her pajama pants leg. "That one's in your favorite color!"

"Merry Christmas." Troy smiled as his wife's eyes brightened at the two new BMWs in their driveway. He had given them everything they had ever asked for, feeling warm at the looks on their faces.

But... wasn't _this _what you needed to feel happy?

* * *

The new spring sun was warm against Connor's skin. He waited patiently on the front patio of the Bolton estate, basketball resting in his lap, just waiting for Dad to come from inside, just like he had promised... an entire week ago. 

"You ready, Dad?" Connor asked, motioning to his tightened basketball shoes, signatured by Shaq. But looking his father up and down... "Why are you wearing a suit?"

"I'm sorry, buddy." Troy gave a weak smile and tousled his son's brown hair. "Maybe another time? I've got to get back to work."

_"Not this time son I've no time to waste  
Maybe tomorrow we'll have time to play"  
And then he slips into his new BMW  
And drives farther and farther and farther away_

Connor turned his back to the dwindling car. His mother was leaning against the door frame, giving him a sad smile. "Maybe another time... like he said." Sharpay fell to her knees to wrap Connor in a hug. Like she always does.

* * *

"Aren't you going to sleep?" Sharpay asked in a low voice, sitting up from the bed. The glow coming from the laptop on Troy's lap reflected off of his face, revealing his tired eyes. "It's one in the morning." 

"Just a minute." he replied almost robotically, pressing against the pillow next to his wife. "This paperwork can't be late." he shook his head as his fingers continued to fly across the keyboard.

Sharpay turned away from him, letting him finish. Maybe one day he would understand.

Maybe.

_Cause he works all day and tries to sleep at night  
He says things will get better;  
Better in time_

* * *

Sharpay set a steaming cup of coffee in front of Troy, silently watching him type numbers into a calculator and sign a number of checks, going here and there. "Take a break." she said quietly, taking a seat across the dining table. 

Troy looked up at her for a brief second. "Sorry, honey," he pulled the ball-point pen out of his mouth before he finished, "These need to be finished by tonight."

This didn't phase Sharpay. She had become used to it. And too comfortable with it for comfort. "Just... come to bed soon, okay?"

Troy gave a silent nod before Sharpay slipped out of the kitchen and onto the spiral staircase. "What are you still doing up?" she put her hands on her hips, seeing Connor sitting on the case, his chin in his hands.

"I need to talk to Dad. You know I have that basketball game coming up. I wanted to see if he can come." Connor said in a whisper. He stood up and finished the rest of the stairs down to the dining room.

Connor was used to seeing Dad's head down. Whether it be in a checkbook or a PalmPilot, he was always busy with something, "Raking in the green", as he had heard his father say bunches of times. But maybe _just this once_... he could come to a game. Cheer him on. Give him a few pointers...

"Dad?" Connor crept across the hardwood floor in his dinosaur slippers.

Troy looked up and smiled wide. "What are you still doing up, buddy?" he moved away from the table, making room on his lap for his son.

"You know about my game... right? Well, I..."

"Saturday afternoon, right?" Troy smiled, "I'll be there." he placed Connor back on the floor.

Connor's eyes widened. "R... really? You'll come?" Troy didn't respond, placing the ball-point pen back in his mouth. "Do you promise?" Connor clasped his hands behind his back and crossed his fingers. Just for a little luck.

"Of course." Troy looked up from his paperwork once more and smiled. "I promise." But did he really?

_Well his American Dream is beginning to seem  
More and more like a nightmare  
With every passing day  
"Daddy, can you come to my game?"  
"Oh Baby, please don't work late."  
Another wasted weekend  
And they are slipping away_

"Good night, Dad!" he smiled brightly, not believing the good news. And Troy could have sworn he heard Connor shout softly, "He said yes!" as he made his way back up the stairs.

* * *

"Are you sure you're going to be there for Connor's game?" Sharpay asked her husband. She pulled down the bed comforter. "You never know if work's going to get in the way..." 

"I'm positive, Sharpay." Troy reassured her, slipping between the sheets. "I'll be there, floor seats and everything." he pulled close to his wife.

"Which means you're ready for Connor's birthday party next week... right?" she continued her interrogation. No response came from Troy.

She grabbed both of his shoulders, looking him square in the eye. "_Do. You. Promise?_" she urged. Troy just laughed and pulled her closer. This had been the first time in a long time in which they had laughed together.

"Good night, Sharpay." he smiled as the last light went out. But he couldn't help but to wonder if she was right.

_'Cause he works all day and lies awake at night  
He tells them things are getting better  
Just take a little more time_

* * *

"No." Troy said frantically, throwing his jacket over his shoulder and rushing for the office door. "No... I can't be late." he mumbled to himself. He had _promised_ that he would be there... 

And he made it just as cheering parents and players flooded out of gymnasium doors. Troy waited at the doorframe, seeing Sharpay still sitting in the bleacers and Connor on the court, throwing a basketball to the backboard as hard as he could.

Sharpay placed her chin in her hands, watching her son miserably. He had _promised_. He should have taken it seriously. Connor finally plopped to the high-gloss wood in frustration, the ball rolling towards the doors. Sharpay glanced up to see Troy.

"I got caught in a meeting." Troy tried. He scooped up the basketball. Sharpay rushed the court, taking Connor's hand and leading him to the doors. "It'll never happen again. I promise."

"That's a lot coming from you." Sharpay answered, her voice quivering. Sharpay and Connor left, leaving Troy to see the gymnasium suddenly go black. He had lost this round.

* * *

Sharpay plucked a crumpled piece of colorful wrapping paper from the plush carpet. She diverted her eyes to the bay window to see Connor still sitting there looking out to his ruined birthday party. "We'll try again soon, Connor." she smiled warmly to his back. "And Dad will actually show up, even if we have to put him on a leash, right?" she asked, hoping to get a laugh out of her son. 

But he continued to stare, this time spotting his dad trying to get out of the rain. He watched as his father stopped dead in his tracks, seeing the pieces of sopping cake and soggy streamers that littered the front yard. Troy Bolton had screwed up once again.

This was it. Troy was running out of chances and he knew it. He picked up a birthday card from the table. The ink was so runny that he couldn't read it. He dropped the birthday card back to the table just as the thunder began to roll.

Troy started towards the house, prepared to throw away his ruined suit. "Hey, Connor." Troy smiled seeing him at the bay window. "I'm really sorry about your party."

Connor turned to his Dad and shook his head. "You should be."

* * *

"What's up?" Troy asked, leaning against the doorframe of Connor's playroom. His back was to him, only showing the red number 14 on Troy's old basketball jersey. "Connor?" 

Connor's shoulder's were heaving. And surrounded by electronics and video games and Matchboxes,he just seemed so... small.

Troy found himself crawling towards his son, pulling him into his lap. "It's okay, Connor." he said soothingly. "I'm here. I'm here." they rocked back and forth as Connor soaked his father's shirt.

He sat in his lap. And Troy let him cry. Because it seemed right.

_He used to say, "Whoever dies with the most toys wins"  
But if he loses his soul, what has he gained in the end  
I'll take a shack on the rock  
Over a castle in the sand_

* * *

Sharpay slid a cup of coffee in front of her working husband again. "Troy..." she started, taking a seat. 

"Can we talk later, honey?" Troy scribbled his signature on a check, ripped it out of the book, and sealed it in an envelope. "These ones are late."

"No." Sharpay pressed her hands against the high-gloss wood of the table. "No, we're going to talk. Now." he voice was quivering with disappointment.

Troy slowly looked up from his work and reclined in his chair. "Okay." he took a deep breath, waiting for his wife to start.

"You missed Connor's game." Sharpay said simply.

"And I'm sorry about that." Troy leaned forward in his chair and frowned.

"But you can't just be sorry anymore!" Sharpay jumped up. "Don't you see what's happening? This family is tearing apart because of work! You're breaking my heart Troy. You're... you're breaking _Connor's _heart. All he wants is his dad to watch him play basketball." he voice softened.

"No, don't _you _see what's happening?" Troy stood up too. "I'm working to give this family everything we've ever wanted!"

"But it's not just about what we _want_, Troy." Sharpay looked close to tears. "It's what we _need_. And right now, we need to be a _family_. Connor's your _son. _He needs his father back."

"Sharpay, I've always been _right here_. I'll always be here. And you know that." Troy sat back down to his paperwork.

His wife turned and let the first tear fall.

And little did they know, Connor was on the spiral staircase letting tears freely fall to the hardwood.

_Now he works all day and cries alone at night  
It's not getting any better  
Looks like he's running out of time_

* * *

"Sharpay... wait!" Troy chased after his wife as she stormed to the front door, designer duffle bags weighing her down. "Please," he begged, "please, just wait a second." 

"Troy..." Sharpay sniffled. "We've waited. We've waited long enough. You have to face it, we're no longer a family." she walked to her BMW, dumping her bags into the trunk. A few blue duffel bags were there too. Connor's belongings.

"Don't say that." Troy felt like everything in him was being drained. "Don't go."

Sharpay crawled into the driver's seat. "Find yourself, Troy. Look past the money and the hard work. Now look at what you've neglected. Because he's sitting in the backseat."

Troy glanced behind Sharpay's shoulder. Connor was pale. He held a basketball in his lap. "Connor, buddy..." Troy reached out his hand to tousle his son's hair once more. But Connor turned his head and leaned his forehead against the window.

That hurt Troy more than anything else.

_'Cause he worked and he built with his own two hands  
And he poured all he had in a castle made with sand  
But the wind and the rain are coming crashing in  
Time will tell just how long his kingdom stands  
His kingdom stands_

"Goodbye, Troy." Sharpay said quietly, slamming the car door. She peeled out of the driveway, down the road. Away from the Bolton Estate

The estate that had instantly grown too big for one lonely person.

Who instantly missed his wife. And his son.

And never knew that he was the sole root of the problem.

Losing everything that he _needed_.

_All they really wanted was you  
All they really wanted was you  
All they really wanted was you._

**Well, there it is! Please read and review!**

* * *


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